Portable marking device



April 27, 1954 w. P. POHLE PORTABLE MARKING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1951 ATTOR N EYS g INVENToR.

- --A// /////@m m E Patented Apr. 27, 1,954

UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,676,641 'Pon'rAnLE MARKING `DEVICE Werner P. Pohle, Lynn, Mass. y Application May 15, 1951, Serial No. 226,348

4 Claims. l

This invention comprises a new and improved device for marking with liquid medium logs, cartons, or other articles, or producing road marks for traiic control, or for any other purpose where marks, of the same `character are to be repeatedly applied.

The device of my invention is organized to be operated by pressure against the surface to be marked; that is to say, by pressing a projecting pilot element of the device against the surface the desired mark is automatically producedV in predetermined location, exact size, and specilied intensity. To this end the device is constructed and arranged to measure each charge of liquid marking medium, to deliver the charge as an atomized spray, and to distribute and govern the size of the charge in accordance with the character of the mark desired.

Heretofore marking devices have been known which require a pressure tank for the marking medium or require manually operated pumping mechanism for delivering the charge. While these have been useful in limited fieldsl they either require the operator to carry heavy equipment or to limit his field of activity, or to operate pumping mechanism, and that frequently results in inaccuracies in locating the marks and increases the physical eifort required to manipulate the apparatus. On the contrary, the device of this invention may be preliminarily located Aaccurately in respect to the spot to be marked and then by mere pressure against its surface the mark is accurately applied without otherwise displacing the device and a new measured charge is drawn into operative position in readiness for making the next mark.

These important and advantageous results are achieved in the marking device of this invention which comprises a handle having a piston fixed thereto which has therein a passage for the marking medium, in combination with a cylinder slidable on the piston and forming therewith a valve controlled pressure chamber having an atomizing outlet. Spring means is provided for relatively moving the cylinder and piston to create suction within the chamber and vto hold the piston and cylinder into relatively extended position. This means yields in response to pressure exerted through a forwardly extending pilot member causing forcible .discharge of the liquid marking medium from the chamber. When pressure is relieved this spring means immediately acts to return the piston and cylinder to their initial position and at the same time to create suction within lthe chamber, thereby drawing in va new charge preparatory to application of the next mark.

Preferably and as herein shown, the pilot member is adjustably mounted upon the cylinder and thus positively determines the distance between the spray nozzle and the surface to be marked. Since the marking. medium is discharged in a divergent spray, the dimensions of the mark can be governed. by regulating the distance between the spray nozzle and the surface to be marked at the conclusion of the discharging step. On the other hand, the intensity of the mark or the amount of liquid marking medium delivered at each operation is controlled and adjusted by the size of the pressure chamber formed by the piston and cylinder. This may be adjustably determined by any convenient means lxing the relative initial position of the piston and cylinder.

These and other lfeatures of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a view in elevation of the device,

Figs. 2 and 3 are views in longitudinal section through the barrel or cylinder showing the piston in two different positions,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a conical pilot mem- .b1,and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the discharge nozzle.

In its illustrated embodiment the device includes a handle IIl which may take the shape of a pistol grip and to which is rigidly secured a piston having ajreduced shank II and an elongated body portion I2. A continuous passage runs through the entire length of the piston and this communicates with a passage (not shown) in the handle I0.l f A long cylinder I3 is telescopically and slidingly mounted on the piston. A seal between the twois provided by a pair of piston rings I4 herein vshown as received in circumferential grooves at the outer end of the piston. The outer end of the piston is closed by a nozzle I5 having the discharge orice.

The inner end of the cylinder I3 is externally threaded to receive adjustably a stop sleeve I6 having its end formed as a nut, and this is locked in position by a lock nut I1 which is also threaded onto the end of the cylinder. A spiral compression spring I8 encircles the shank I I of the piston and is interposed between the face of the handle I0` and a washer which bears against the stop sleeve I6. A stop collar I9 is adjustably secured to the shank II of the piston. It is smaller in diameter thanthe coils of the spring I8 so that it may move freely within the spring and thus serves to limit the compression of the spring and the displacement of the cylinder I3 with respect to the piston as will be readily seen by comparing Figs. 2 and 3. The shoulder 20 between the shank II and the body I2 of the piston serves to limit the outward movement of the cylinder under the actuation of the spring I8 by engaging the inner face of the stop sleeve I6. This limiting position is shown in Fig. 2.

A pressure chamber`2I is formed at the end of the piston within the cylinder and behind the discharge nozzle I5. When the cylinder I3 Lis displaced rearwardly on the piston, the yvolume of the pressure chamber 2I is reduced as will be apparent from comparing Figs. 2 and 3 yof the drawings, and the charge forced out of it.

The atomizing nozzle I5 is provided with a threaded shank of reduced diameter 'tting--an internal thread formed at the end of the cylinder I3, and its body portion is fashioned as a nut so that the nozzle may be securely screwed in place. The body of the nozzle is hollow and its inner end `is closed by a tubular nut 23 containing va valve seat which is normally closed by a ball 24, all as best shown in Fig. 5. In the outer end of the nozzle I5 is formed the outlet orifice 22. vFlow through this orifice is controlled by a ianged stud 25 having a tapering outer face in which are Yformed skewed passages, 'I'he stud 25 and the ball 24 of the valve are normally .held in place by a compression spring 26 which is interposed between them and which encircles the vstern of the stud 25.

The passage in the handle I 'which communicates with the longitudinal passage in the piston terminates in a hollow stem 29 to which may be connected a iiexible hose leading from a reservoir tank for the liquid marking medium that may be readily carried on the back of the operator of the marking device.

The outer end of the piston I2 is chambered, internally threaded and closed by a lhollow threaded stud 30. At the inner end of this chamber is provided a seat for a check valve closed by a ball 3I. Movement of the ball 'is limited by the inner end of the stud 30, the valve being permitted to open when suction is created in the suction chamber 2I and to close during the forced ejection Yof the marking medium Yfrom that chamber.

A flanged collar 32 is adjustably secured `on the cylinder I3. To this is bolted a downwardly eX- tending arm 33 which carries the pilot member of the device. In Figs. l3 this is shown as a pointed rod 34 which is rigidly secured to the arm 33 and extends a substantial distance beyond the end of the nozzle I and in parallel offset relation to the cylinder I3 so that pressure against the end of the pilot causes the rearward displacement of the cylinder upon its piston I2.

A pilot member of the alternative form is shown in Fig. 4 as a conical or flaring casing 35 disposed with its axis parallel to that of the cylinder I3. This is rigidly bolted to the flanged 'collar 32 and may be set to extend any predetermined distance beyond the nozzle in accordance with the size of the mark desired.

The operation of the device will be apparent from the foregoing description but may be summarized as follows. The operator first determines the location of the desired mark and then places the pointed end of the pilot rod 34 at `the proper point against the surface to be marked. It will be apparent that this step may be carried CII ' circular mark to the surface.

4 out with extreme accuracy. Having engaged the surface in this manner, the operator presses forwardly upon the handle I0, compressing the spring I8 and subjecting the uid marking medium which has already been delivered to the chamber 2I to sufficient pressure to eject it as an atomized stream from the discharge orifice 22. During this operation the check Valve 3I is closed and the outlet Valve 24 is unseated by the :duid `,pressure behind it. The marking medium issues inthe form of a conical spray, 'as 'indicated in Fig. 1 for example, and accordingly applies a The size of the mark vdepends upon the setting of the pilot rod 34 and the amount of marking uid used depends upon Athe initial volume of the pressure chamber v2-.I as determined by the setting of the stop sleeve I6. Having completed the marking step, pressure on the handle Iii is released and the spring I8 immediately restores the cylinder I3 to its initial position thereby expanding the pressure chamber 2l., creating suction therein, and causing the chamber automatically to be refilled with lthe liquid marking medium. The check valve 3i is displaced during this reiilling step. The operation may be repeated indenitely as fast as the operator can re-locate the ypilot rod 3-'l on surfaces to be marked, and immediately after each marking operation vthe pressure chamber is automatically reiilled under the powerful suction of the expanding pressure chamber due to the action of the compression spring IB.

It will be noted that upon release of pressure on the pilot and drop of pressure in the pressure chamber 2I, the bail 2li in the nozzle is immediately seated and thus prevents any possibility of drip from the nozzle. The ball also seals the nozzle and so prevents any air from being drawn into the pressure chamber.

The spring 26 holds back the ball 24 until enough pressure has been Abuilt up behind it to cause instant atomization of the marking iiuid. None is permitted to escape except in the form of a very ne atomizing spray. This is delivered almost instantaneously and is not visible in the air but only evidenced by the spot as it appears on the surface to be marked. In actual practice 70'00 perfect marks have been satisfactorily applied in an interval of 66 minutes.

The conical or flaring casing of the pilot member shown in Fig. 4 constitutes alternative means for limiting the divergence of the atomized spray and the size of the applied mark. This casing may be of any desired shape or may take the form of a stencil if desired. Preferably spacing lugs 36 are provided to hold the circular end of the casing slightly away from or above the surface to be marked and so obviate actual contact that might blur the mark.

Another form of stencil 3l' is shown in Fig. l as supported by a spring 38 having a coil and an upstanding stem that may be inserted in any one of a series of vertical holes in the pilot rod 34, thus providing adjustment of the size of the stencil pattern. The stencil 3l' may be in the form of a letter or any selected design.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail illustrative embodiments thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A marking device comprising a piston having a passage therein for liquid marking medium, a cylinder telescopically mounted on the piston yand forming therewith a chamber for a liquid charge.. the chamber having Va valve controlled inlet port and an atomizing nozzle at the outer end of the cylinder, an elongated pressure transmitting pilot member adjustably secured to the cylinder and extending in parallel offset relation and clear of the nozzle to a Xed distance beyond the nozzle for contact with the surface to be marked, a spring normally advancing the cylinder on the said piston and thereby creating suction in the said liquid charge chamber, and means for determining the initial position of the cylinder on its said piston.

2. A marking device of the character defined in claim 1 in which the pilot member is conical in shape and controls by its adjusted position the size of the mark as applied by the device.

3. A marking device having a handle, a piston fixed in the handle and having a passage therein, a cylinder slidable on the piston and :forming therewith a chamber for a liquid charge, a spring normally projecting the cylinder beyond the end of the piston by a predetermined distance and thereby creating suction in the chamber, a valve between the chamber and the passage in the piston, a spray nozzle at the outer end of the cylinder, and an elongated pilot rod secured to the cylinder and extending in parallel offset relation thereto a substantial distance beyond the spray nozzle and out of line therewith.

4. A portable marking device comprising a handle, a piston carried by the handle, a cylinder movably mounted on the piston, forming a pressure chamber therewith and having an atomizing nozzle at its outer end, a uid supply passage leading through the piston to the pressure chamber and a valve in said passage, a pilot rod fast on the cylinder and extending beyond the end thereof, and a stencil carried by the rod and located in range of said nozzle.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 542,530 Norman July 9, 1895 630,613 Lisk Aug. 8, 1899 1,054,866 Pilling Mar. 4, 1913 1,367,008 Bessesen Feb. 1, 1921 1,455,969 Rayder May 23, 1923 1,909,454 Brunner May 16, 1933 2,529,395 Hummel Nov. 7, 1950 2,567,496 Pittenger Sept. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 589,252 Great Britain June 16, 1947 

